Kathie Lee Gifford Biography (1953-)

Original name, Kathryn Lee Epstein; born August 16, 1953, in Paris, France; daughter of Aaron (a naval officer and a musician) and Joan (a singer; maidenname, Cuttell) Epstein; married Paul Johnson (a gospel composer), April 23, 1976 (divorced, 1981; one source says 1979); married Frank Gifford (a sportscaster) October 16, 1986; children: (second marriage) Cody Newton, Cassidy Erin. Addresses: Agent: William Morris Agency, 151 El Camino Dr., BeverlyHills, CA 90212.; Office: 7 Lincoln Square, Fifth floor, New York, NY 10023.

Nationality: American
Gender: Female
Occupation: Television personality, actress, singer
Birth Details: August 16, 1953; Paris, France

Famous Works

CREDITS
Television Appearances
Series
(As Kathie Lee Johnson) Featured singer, I Believe in Miracles, CBS, 1975-1976
(As Kathie Lee Johnson) Nurse Callahan, Days of Our Lives (also known as DOOL and Days), NBC, 1977
(As Kathie Lee Johnson) Featured singer, Name That Tune (also known as The $100,000 Name That Tune), syndicated, 1977
(As Kathie Lee Johnson) Kathie Honey, The Hee Haw Honeys, syndicated, 1978-1979
(As Kathie Lee Johnson) Special correspondent and substitute anchor, Good Morning America (also known as GMA), ABC, 1982-1985
(Billed as Kathie Lee Johnson until 1986) Cohost, The Morning Show, ABC and syndicated, 1985-1988
(With Regis Philbin) Host, Live with Regis and Kathie Lee, syndicated, 1988-2000
Voice of Echidna, Hercules (animated; also known as Disney's Hercules), ABC and syndicated, 1998
Hollywood Squares, syndicated, 1998
Movies
Deirdre Adams, Model Behavior, 2000
Amanda Berkeley, Spinning Out of Control, E! Entertainment Television, 2001
Miniseries
Cameo, "First Impressions," Summer Stories: The Mall, 1992
Specials
The Funniest Joke I Ever Heard, ABC, 1984
The Guinness Book of World Records, ABC, 1985
Placido Domingo Special: Eight Women I Love, ABC, 1985
The 1987 Miss America Pageant, NBC, 1987
Calgary '88: The Olympic Adventure Begins, ABC, 1988
(With others) Host, 1988 Winter Olympic Games, ABC, 1988
(With Regis Philbin) Host, Regis & Kathie Lee: Special Edition, 1988
The 56th Annual King Orange Jamboree Parade, 1989
Walt Disney World's 4th of July Spectacular, syndicated, 1990
Victory and Valor: A Special Olympics All-Star Celebration, ABC, 1991
Tube Test Two, ABC, 1991
The Dream Is Alive: The 20th Anniversary Celebration of Walt Disney World, CBS, 1991
Children's Miracle Network Telethon, syndicated, 1991
Host and song performer, The 1991 Miss America Pageant, NBC, 1991
Host and song performer, The 1992 Miss America Pageant, NBC, 1992
The Barbara Walters Special, ABC, 1992
Presenter, Soap Opera Digest Awards, 1992
This Is Your Life, NBC, 1993
Scott Ross Street Talk, The Family Channel, 1993
A Musical Christmas at Walt Disney World, ABC, 1993
The 2nd Annual Saturday Night Live Mother's Day Special, 1993
Host and song performer, Kathie Lee Gifford's Celebration of Motherhood, ABC, 1993
The Miss America Pageant, NBC, 1993
A Phyllis George Special, TNN, 1994
Holiday at Pops, PBS, 1994
"Beauty Pageants: Bright Lights, Big Business," A&E Stage, Arts and Entertainment, 1994
Host and song performer, The Miss America Pageant, NBC, 1994
Host and song performer, Kathie Lee ... Looking for Christmas, CBS, 1994
Herself, Sesame Street's All-Star 25th Birthday: Stars and Street Forever!, ABC, 1994
National anthem singer, Super Bowl XXIX, ABC, 1995
The N.F.L. at 75: An All-Star Celebration, ABC, 1995
Host, Variety Children's Charity Telethon, 1995
Host, Live with Regis and Kathie Lee--Mom's Dream Come True Special, syndicated, 1995
Host and song performer, Glenn Miller's Greatest Hits, PBS, 1995
Host, 1995 Miss America Pageant (also known as The 75th AnnualMiss America Pageant), NBC, 1995
Host and song performer, Kathie Lee: Home for Christmas, CBS, 1995
Disney's 101 Dalmatians ... a Canine's Tale, ABC, 1996
Host, Miracle Babies, CBS, 1996
Host and song performer, Kathie Lee Gifford's Lullabies for Little Ones, CBS, 1996

Host, Glenn Miller's Greatest Hits II, PBS, 1996
Sandi Patty: O Holy Night!, 1996
Herself and song performer, Kathie Lee: Just in Time for Christmas, CBS, 1996
The Funniest of the World's Funniest Outtakes, Fox, 1997
Barbara Walters Presents the Ten Most Fascinating People of 1997,ABC, 1997
Host, Plugged In: A Parent's Guide to TV, 1997
Host and song performer, Kathie Lee: We Need a Little Christmas, CBS, 1997, Daytime Emmy Awards, 2001
Episodic
(As Kathie Lee Johnson) Guest host, Hee Haw, syndicated, 1978
(As Kathie Lee Johnson) Guest host, A.M. Los Angeles, 1981
Mother's Day, Lifetime, 1988
Stephanie, Evening Shade, CBS, 1993
Herself, "The Opposite," Seinfeld, NBC, 1994
Herself, Madman of the People, NBC, 1994
Herself, "Big Brother Is Watching," The Cosby Mysteries, NBC, 1995
Herself, "The Day I Met Frank Gifford," Coach, ABC, 1995
Herself, "Dear Diary," Women of the House, CBS, 1995
Jolene, "Birthmarks," Touched by an Angel, CBS, 1995
Herself, Second Noah, ABC, 1996
Herself, "I, Stank Hole in One," The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, 1996
Herself, "Kathie Lee Gifford: Having It All," Biography, Arts andEntertainment, 1996
Herself, "Diving In," Second Noah, ABC, 1997
Herself, "Radio Daze," Spin City (also known as Spin), ABC,1997
Herself, "It's Jan!" The Tom Show, 1997
Voice of Jill, Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child (animated), HBO, 1997
Herself, "Caroline and the Sandwich," Caroline in the City, NBC, 1997
Mary Montgomery, "Talked to Death," Diagnosis Murder, CBS, 1998
Herself, "A Recipe for Disaster," Style and Substance, CBS, 1998
Herself, "Treehouse of Horror IX," The Simpsons (animated), Fox, 1998
Herself, "Pearce on Conan," LateLine, 1999
Herself, "New York," The Famous Jett Jackson, The Disney Channel,1999
Herself, "Regis Philbin: Made for TV," Biography, Arts and Entertainment, 1999
Wendy, "Monica's Bad Day," Touched by an Angel, CBS, 2000
Guest host, Larry King Live, CNN, 2000
Princess Whiff, The Amanda Show, Nickelodeon, 2001
Allison Spencer, "Sugar Mama," Just Shoot Me, NBC, 2001
Vanessa, "Christening," The Drew Carey Show, ABC, 2001
Voice of the "other woman," "The Sweetest Apu," The Simpsons (animated), Fox, 2002
Also appeared in an episode of The 700 Club, syndicated.
Television Work
Series
Executive producer, Live with Regis and Kathie Lee, syndicated, 1999-2000
Specials
(With others) Producer, Kathie Lee ... Looking for Christmas, CBS,1994
Executive producer, Kathie Lee: Home for Christmas, CBS, 1995
Executive producer, Kathie Lee: Just in Time for Christmas, CBS, 1996
Executive producer, Kathie Lee: We Need a Little Christmas, CBS, 1997
Film Appearances
Herself, The First Wives Club, Paramount, 1996
Herself, Dudley Do-Right, Universal, 1999
Also appeared in Jana.
Stage Appearances
The Wife (fill in), Putting It Together, off-Broadway production,1999
RECORDINGS
Albums
(As Kathie Lee Johnson) The Quiet Riot, Petra, 1976
(As Kathie Lee Johnson; with Michele Epstein) Kathie and Michie ... Friends, Petra, 1977
(As Kathie Lee Johnson) Finders Keepers, Petra, 1978
Sentimental, Warner Bros., 1992
Sentimental Journey, 1993
It's Christmas Time, 1993
Born For You, 2000
Heart of a Woman, 2000
Also recorded Goodnight Angel; Party Animals.
Videos
Kathie Lee's Feel Fit and Fabulous Workout, 1994
WRITINGS
Television Specials
Kathie Lee Gifford's Celebration of Motherhood, ABC, 1993
(With others) Kathie Lee ... Looking for Christmas, CBS, 1994
Kathie Lee: Just in Time for Christmas, CBS, 1996
Kathie Lee: We Need a Little Christmas, CBS, 1997
Nonfiction
(With Jim Jerome) I Can't Believe I Said That!: An Autobiography,Pocket (New York City), 1992
(With Regis Philbin) Cooking with Regis and Kathie Lee, Hyperion (New York City), 1993
(With Regis Philbin and Barbara Albright) Entertaining with Regis andKathie Lee: Year-Round Holiday Recipes, Entertaining Tips, and Party Ideas, Hyperion, 1995
(With Cody Gifford) Listen to My Heart: Lessons in Love, Laughter, andLunacy, illustrated by Sandra Forrest, Hyperion, 1995
Fiction
A Family Christmas: A Treasury of Holiday Stories, Poems, Songs and Activities for Little Ones (also known as Christmas with Kathie Lee: A Treasury of Holiday Stories, Poems, Songs and Activities for Little Ones),illustrated by Teri Weidner, Disney Press (New York City), 1997
Fiction for Children
Creator with Paul Taublieb and Susan Cooper
Moochie's Surprise, Random House (New York City), 1997
Giff the Scaredy Bear, Random House, 1997
Giff's Big Game, Random House, 1997

Further Reference

OTHER SOURCES

Books

King, Norman, Regis and Kathie Lee: Their Lives Together and Apart, Carol Publishing Group (Secaucus, NJ), 1995
Newsmakers 1992, Issue Cumulation, Gale Research, 1992

Periodicals

Bobbin, October, 1996, pp. 82-83
Christian Century, October 9, 1996, pp. 932-936
Good Housekeeping, August, 1997, pp. 86-89
New Republic, June 9, 1997, pp. 11-12
People Weekly, December 30, 1996, p. 73; June 2, 1997, pp. 106-112; June 16, 1997, p. 43; December 29, 1997, pp. 60-61
Reason, December, 1996, p. 74
Time, May 26, 1997, p. 123
WWD, May 7, 1997, pp. 1-2; May 30, 1997, p. 4; December 8, 1997, p. 23

Electronic

Kathie Lee Gifford Official Site, http://www.kathieleegifford.com,May 24, 2002

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